Recently Transcribed Episodes

The meeting in today’s gospel between Christ and the rich man is important. Saints Matthew, Mark and Luke all mention the meeting in their gospels. Clearly, this meeting did happen; and the three evangelists all made sure they included it in their gospels. Furthermore, the apostles got very upset about the idea that rich people do not go to heaven, because at that time in 1st century Palestine having wealth was a sign of being blessed by the Father. At least, that was what a lot of people thought. So what is happening here? Why do both the rich man himself and all the apostles become so upset?

“… have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.” (Ephesians 5:11-13)

The Leveson Enquiry into Press Ethics has brought into the light, the dark and hidden arts of phone hacking hitherto practised with impunity by more disreputable elements in the tabloid press. Of course it was the Milly Dowler affair that shocked the nation and led even Rupert Murdoch to declare that this had been a profoundly humbling…

Today is the feast of the conception of the most holy Theotokos by the righteous Anna, in Hebrew, Hannah … and also that of the prophetess Hannah, mother of the Prophet Samuel. The Church celebrates these two feasts together because they have a most intimate connection, albeit being separated in time by some 11 centuries.

The mother of the Theotokos was named after the mother of the Prophet Samuel, Hannah and Anna being the same name. Hannah in the Old Testament is best known for her barren mother’s Song of celebration in the calling of her miraculously conceived son to serve the Lord for all his life. Hannah or Anna in the New…

The Lord spoke this parable: “Two men went into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who…

One day, our Lord Jesus Christ told this parable. (A parable is a story with a special meaning.) He wanted people to learn something from His story. He told about two men who went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. In those days, Pharisees were people who tried very hard to follow God’s laws, but often did it just to show off or brag. And in those days, people did not like tax collectors because they often cheated people out of their money. The Pharisee stood up and prayed proudly, “Thank you, God, that I’m not like other men who disobey You and hurt others. Thank you that I’m not…

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